23 September

Serie A · 1984

Maradona's Napoli did not happen overnight

Eighty thousand people turned up to watch him be introduced. Two games into the season Napoli had one point, and Diego Maradona's first Serie A goal had come from the penalty spot.

Diego Maradona scored his first Serie A goal, a penalty, as Napoli drew 1–1 with Sampdoria at the San Paolo. A week earlier his debut had ended in a 3–1 defeat at Verona. Napoli had nearly been relegated the season before, and his first year in Italy was a slow start rather than a revolution.

World Cup qualifying · 1973

Argentina's ghost team

Argentina won a World Cup qualifier in La Paz with a squad that had spent weeks training at altitude in the far north of the country, away from the main team.

Serie A · 1990

Parma's first win: the team before the trophies

Newly promoted Parma beat the reigning champions Napoli 1–0 for their first ever Serie A victory, with Maradona in the Napoli side.

In brief

Olympic Games · 2000

Nine men against Brazil — Cameroon knocked Brazil out of the Sydney Olympics in the quarter-finals, winning 2–1 in extra time despite being reduced to nine men.

World heavyweight title · 1983

Gerrie Coetzee spoils the homecoming — Gerrie Coetzee knocked out the unbeaten Michael Dokes in the tenth round at Richfield, Ohio, to win the WBA heavyweight title at the third attempt.

World featherweight title · 1995

Manuel Medina would not fight your fight — Manuel Medina took the WBC featherweight title from Alejandro "La Cobrita" González on a split decision in Sacramento.

World middleweight title · 2006

Arthur Abraham's victory, and the argument it left behind — Arthur Abraham kept his IBF middleweight title against the unbeaten Colombian Edison Miranda in Wetzlar despite having his jaw broken in the fourth round.